Annealing box



loci. 7,v 1930. M P. WILSON 1,777,595

ANNEALING lBox Filed July 14, 1928 ATTORNE):

Patentedy Oct. 7, 1930 iran stars rrnr orrrlcri-:u f

MATTHEW r. WILSON, or eANoNsBURG, rnNNsYLvANIA ANNEALING Box Application filed July 14,

My invention `is an improvement in boxes employed for the purpose of annealing sheets or plates ofvmetal and -in Which the latter are stacked and confined so that they will be subjectedl to a high temperature in the annealing process by heat applied to the outside of the box as generallyunderstood in the practice of this art. Y Y

Annealing boxes of this general character 1o are usually cast in a single unit andthelife of the box is greatly affected by overheating of the top Which soon becomes destroyedror damaged to such an extent as to require repairing, incurring an important item ofexpense inthe practice of the process; and

furthermore, the excessive heat of the top of amount of heat to the upper part of the stack of plates vWithin the box so that an even annealing of all the plates Will be effected.

With this particular object in view my inY vention consists in the particular construction of the top of an annealing box in Which the sides and ends may be of any approved formation or design, all as hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the ap4 pended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an annealing box With the top constructed in accordance with my invention, the end portions of said box being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the box, and

through-the same. x l y The sides 5 5 and ends 6.6 of thel anneal ingv box may be of anyconventional and `approved formation for reinforcingA the body of the box, that shown being a Well- Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional Viewv 192s. serial No; 292,751.

knovvnconstruction but not essentialin theV carrying out of my invention inasmuch as' said sides and ends may begprovided with any other design-of reinforcingribs, but in order to cooperate with the Vtop construcsa tion of my improved annealing box said sides and ends at their upper ends are curved `in- Wardly for-a slight distance 'above the ceiling 7 of thebox, as` at 8, toprovide4 a space above said ceiling in `which insulating material 9 lis placed, and'in ordeiytoreinforce the ceiling andmoreespecially conduct a` certain amount ofhea-tV thereto beloWthe insulating material I provide outwardly. projectingtransverse` ribs l0" having laterali franges 10a' 10a at their upper edges provid'`` ing an` increased thickness of Vrmaterial `for certain purposes as Well as; flat externallsurfaces over which the iiamewill passwhen y the box isfsubjected to heat in carrying out 'le the annealing process.. These ribslarefpref` erably arcuate `in form* and are .suitably spaced apart from one end of thetop to the ether .providing in association: with the i curvedl upper portions` of the'sides, and ends 7a ofthe box severalrshallow receptacles in the top to receive the insulating material, the` l depthV of said receptacles being determined L according tothe sizeof the boxa'nd amount of heat applied. j

l/Vith an annealing box having the top conf struction hereinbefore described, in accordance Witlrmy` invention, I have so far found that best resultsaire obtained by usingl a comu paratively light insulating material, such asy sa the insulation` underthe fvvell-ltnovvn name of silorcel, for it is a suitable non-conductor of heat,;an`d being light as compared with sand f which is commonly used,` villserve toibettcr protect the ceiling of ythebox and also preventovcrheati-ng of the upper plates of metal Within the* box, and' in using an:l insulating' l materialofthisgeneral character the ali-clientl y ribs, hereinbefore referred to,.perfo r1n an` im portant service in conducting suflicient` amount of heat directedtagainst the flat surface thereof to the ceiling 7 of the box, it

being noted that the enlarged upper portions of the arched ribs project above the insulating material so that the flame not only passes over the surface thereof but also between said ribs.

The annealing box constructed `in accord- Y ance With my invention is used in the usual e manner, being placed over the stack of plates with the lower end of said box embedded in sand to seal the chamber formed thereby and inV which the plates are annealed, said box being subjected to heat by fire at one side thereor' from which the lia-mes sweep 'over the box.

ln the kpresent instance the flames in sweeping over the insulated top and arched ribs enlarged at their upper edges, as heretoforeV described, are prevented from overheatingthe ceiling of the box for the reason that the insulation 1s effective as a' non-conductor while the. arched ribs being of a particular formationconductthe.required amount of.

heat to the ceiling along its length whereby the upper part of the chamber in which the plates are stacked isA supplied with'the re! quired amount of heat without being overheated as with the ordinary form of box, con'V sequently theentire stack of plates will be properly annealed. It will be understood also that the construction of the top when supplied with a comparatively light insulating materialv will not;be overheated orv heavy as when thick tops are made or sand used as the insulating material, in the latter instance the sand being a conductor of heatis not asl eiiectiveas desired. Therefore byproviding an annealing box of my invention possessing the advantages stated decided results are obtained by increasing the life of the box as well as providing an even yannealing of all the plates in the stack. y

Iclailnz. l. An annealing boxA having a top with side and end walls projectingabove the same,

Y a plurality of Vspaced apart arched ribs ex tending upwardly from the top betweenthe side walls with the upper edges of said arched ribs above the plane of said side and end walls and of increased thickness for conducting heat tothe ceiling of the annealing box by way of the ribs, and a non-conductor of heat of light material confined in the recesses between the ribs and aforesaidside and end walls. A

2. Anannealing box having side andend Walls Vextended above the ceiling and curved inwardly a short distance to form a 'receptacle on top of the box, arched ribs extending upwardly from the'ceiling and across the top of the box froni'the extended walls at formed on top of the box.

MAfrTnEw P. WILSON,

opposite sides thereof, said'ribs being' thickened at their upper or outer. edges, andginv sulating materialv inthe receptacles so 

